Sandy Brondello’s firing shook the basketball world. Not only is it rare to fire a head coach who won you the championship a year ago, but New York’s 2025 season wasn’t terrible–so where did all this come from? For the longest time, we thought the players would have an answer. That it was an intra-organization dispute, or the fit just wasn’t right. However, according to recent updates, they might’ve been as blindsided as us!

There has been a lot of pressure on the Liberty organization to justify its decision. And heading into the end-of-season presser, New York GM Jonathan Kolb came prepared with all of the answers. When a reporter asked if the players were aware of the decision and what sort of dialogue Kolb had with them, his response was rather unexpected. “I do believe we pride ourselves in being a player-led organization. But at the same time, I’m also proud of the respect that we built from the front office to the players in the sense that there’s a level of trust that leadership will make decisions.” He said, setting the stage for a major revelation.

Well, not really a revelation, more of a reminder. “We had exit meetings and we go through those thoroughly with our players, but ultimately the decision is mine.” Kolb said, and we all know what that implies. There are a lot of organizational dynamics at play in this situation. And the General Manager was quick to remind the media that the power is in his hands, not the players.

So, from what it looks like, the Liberty squad wasn’t aware of this drastic upheaval. Considering everything that has happened, we also don’t have an idea about who is coming back and who is not. New York’s biggest stars–Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones–are all free agents in 2026. The question at hand is this: Are they willing to stick with the organization after this sudden change?

Because the bond they shared with Brondello was special. Breanna Stewart said it best,  “I mean, to anybody that questions Sandy being here, this is a resilient group, and she has our back, and we have hers. And the way that she continued to deal with the cards she was dealt was incredible.” They won a championship together, which has to count for something, right? So will the stars come back? Let’s find out what the organization has to say.

New York GM confident that stars will run it back after abrupt Sandy Brondello removal

The bond between a player and coach, especially after a championship year, is nothing to scoff at. Sandy Brondello’s run in New York has been nothing short of legendary. In four seasons with this squad, she has two Finals appearances and a championship to her name. Not to mention, her team hasn’t missed the playoffs even once! So, considering everything that has happened over the last few days, people are wondering if the Liberty can retain its core next year.

After all, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones are nearly unstoppable when they’re together. They were the driving force behind New York’s championship last year, but sadly, they could only scrounge up 12 games together this season, winning all of them. During the end-of-season presser, reporters questioned whether the big three would be returning to New York, and the response from Kolb was quite reassuring.

After having conversations with his biggest stars, Jonathan Kolb was confident in their return. “I have the utmost confidence that they want to be back with us.” He said, putting a lot of fans’ worries at ease. New York wouldn’t be the same without these three stars.

It will be interesting to see who the New York Liberty franchise will bring in to head their 2026 campaign. Kolb was unwilling to let any details or requirements slip in the presser, but it’s clear that they want a drastic change in how things work. Will this coaching decision work out in the long run? Can New York capitalize on a fresh start? Or will this decision come back to bite them? Only time will tell/